My Childhood In Coldharbour

A Memory of Coldharbour.

In July 1959, I was born at home, to Eric and Ann Shields in Coldharbour village.  My father was the village policeman; we lived in what was then the police house, which was situated next to the village shop opposite the schoolhouse.  All of these properties have now been turned into private homes, but in the scheme of things, the wonder of Coldharbour is how little has changed in almost 50 years.

I have two older sisters Julia and Lynette.  I think a third girl may have been something of a disappointment to my Dad who was secretly hoping for a boy to follow in his footsteps.  In the fullness of time he was not disappointed; in 1972 he became a proud Dad for a fourth time, when my brother Barry was born and in 1980 just after Dad retired, I joined the Surrey Constabulary and served for 7 years.

Due to my Dad’s promotion, we moved from Coldharbour, it just happened that we moved out on my 6th Birthday.

Living in the police house, my Dad was always on duty and would often get a knock on the door from lost walkers or other general enquiries.

In the cottage next door to us (the other side from the shop), lived Uncle Dick and Auntie Rose they were brother and sister and they became firm family friends.  Sadly they have long since passed away.  Dick and Rose Sanders were a true inspiration, they worked tirelessly for the good of the village.  They were choristers and bell-ringers at Christ Church, they arranged the flowers and kept the church clean, I can still see the image of Auntie Rose scrubbing the white altar steps and polishing the brass eagle lectern. They tended graves in the churchyard and  Auntie Rose cleaned the school and wound the clock on the schoolhouse. They visited their elderly friends, (I particularly remember Mrs Baldwin in the cottage next to the old forge).

Uncle Dick kept a garden full of fabulous flowers (especially dahlias) and vegetables.  I loved to sit by the forget-me-nots and feel the warm sun.  

My Dad also kept his garden well and grew flowers and vegetables.  At one time we had two ducks in the garden, we called them Waddle and Toddle and had some fun and games when trying to get them into the pen at night to protect them from the foxes.  One day, a farmer came and slaughtered them (or whatever farmers do) for us to eat them.  I don't think any of us had an appetite that mealtime!!

On 23rd October 1960 I was christened in Christ Church.  I know the date because Auntie Rose (my Godmother) gave me a silver-christening bracelet upon which the date is inscribed, an item still precious to me.

The school’s headmistress was Miss White and the teacher was Mrs. Lambert there were just 15 pupils on the register.  Once my sisters started school my mum worked as the school helper, bandaging grazed knees and other tasks that were required of her.  As a pre-school child I would occasionally join the children for playtime (health and safety rules of today would probably not have allowed that pleasure).  

Auntie Rose would sometimes buy my sisters and I a tube of smarties.  We loved to flip the brightly coloured lid and discover the letter of the alphabet embossed on the inside.

In the summer there was the village fete on the grass by the war memorial, there was tombola, fancy dress, Punch and Judy and Mrs. Harvey would bring her donkey for folks to ride upon.

Thanks to my Dad's photos I can remember the winter of 1963 when there was heavy snow, which started on Boxing day and lasted through to March.  Coldharbour was virtually cut off to the outside world.  My Dad was a carpenter by trade and made us a sledge and we went tobogganing on the field behind our house.  Beyond the field was the woods where on better days we played freely making tree houses with Ian and Sally from the house behind the Plough; Plough Haven.

We had a boxer dog, Punch and I have fond memories of long walks on Leith Hill, playing amongst the bracken and picnicking in the woods near the cricket pitch.  Uncle Dick would play cricket and Auntie Rose served the cricketer's teas.

I spent a lot of happy times with Auntie Rose and Uncle Dick, I remember their little stone cottage before they had electricity and I loved to sit with them as daylight faded, 'twilight' as she called it, before they lit the gas lamp.  We would be warmed by the open fire and listen to the Archers on the radio.

I was fascinated when very occasionally we would be allowed to go down the winding stone steps from the kitchen into the cellar beneath the cottage, I can still remember the damp smell, I think they kept logs in there for the fire.  Another rare but wonderful event was being allowed to go beyond the upstairs tiny landing into the attic.

At one end of the kitchen was the copper, where Auntie Rose would once have done her washing, but later I remember that she used to bundle up her laundry and have it collected for cleaning.

The village shop and post office, at the time run by Miss Weller, stocked some food items, but tradesmen such as the baker and the milkman delivered other food items to our homes.  Sometime Auntie Rose and I would ride into Dorking on the number 433 bus.

The smell of wood smoke and autumn twilight still takes me back to those halcyon days.  I have so many fond memories of the village and still often return with my family to enjoy the un-spoilt beauty and tranquility.